Relationship between Ocular Morbidity and Infant Nutrition

The nutrition of the constantly growing and developing infant even after birth has an undeniable contribution to the development of eyes, which can be considered as the extension of the brain. Therefore, the elucidation of these physiological developments is valuable in terms of preventing pathological conditions. During the first six months of an infant’s life, nutrition is provided through breast milk or infant formula, and after the sixth month, there is a transition to additional food. Breast milk is, thus, considered as ‘miracle food’, with a growing body of research being undertaken to investigate its relationship with orbital diseases and reporting that breast milk reduces ocular morbidity. Breast milk is an accessible, economical and important nutrition source for eye development and infant health. The developments in recent years have resulted in the content of formula being closer to that of breast milk, which can positively affect the neurovisional development of babies that cannot be fed with breast milk.

Breastfeeding in Normal Newborn: Basic Concepts

Breastfeeding is a complete nutrition for the baby and beneficial to the baby and the mother. Mothers should be prepared for breastfeeding and motivated antenatally. Breastfeeding should be initiated within 1 h of normal delivery and 4 h of Caesarean section. In the first 2 days, colostrum is secreted which is highly immunogenic to the baby. Mature milk comes by day 10 of life. Foremilk is rich in protein and vitamins, while hindmilk is rich in fat. Proper technique should be followed for successful breastfeeding. Reflexes in the mother while breastfeeding are prolactin and oxytocin reflexes, while reflexes in the baby are rooting, sucking and swallowing. In case of early discharge from the hospital, adequacy of breastfeeding should be checked at 3–5 days of life. Breastfeeding develops bonding between the baby and the mother and promotes brain growth of the baby. Human milk is suitable for the baby and contains less protein and minerals than cow’s milk and has less solute load for immature kidneys of the baby. Breastfeeding should be on demand, minimum eight times per day. The common feeding problems in the mother are flat or inverted nipple, sore nipple, engorgement of breasts, and mastitis which should be prevented.

Breastfeeding and Gut Microbiota

Human breast milk (HBM) not only is a source of nutrition for infants but also contains a variety of biologically active components and bacterial species. These molecules and bacteria guide both intestinal microbiota and infantile immune system. Recently published studies have found several vital roles for gut microbiota including effects on the individual’s personality, decreased predisposition to the diseases, and a variety of other health-related consequences such as possible therapeutic effects or preventing role. In this chapter the components of human breast milk and its effect on shaping the human gut microbiota have been reviewed.

Prophylactic and Therapeutic Role of Human Breast Milk Proteins and Bioactive Peptides against Neonatal Bacterial Infections

Breast milk represents nature’s best mechanism to provide complete nourishment and protection to the newborn. Human breast milk acts as a store house of an array of bioactive factors, which includes antimicrobial proteins and antimicrobial peptides that confer early protection while lowering the incidence of developing various infections and exhibiting immune modulation property to activate the immune cells to fight against the invading pathogens. Among the bioactive peptides, endogenous peptides present in breast milk have opened a new window of research on studying their unique mechanisms of action. This will help in incorporating these peptides in formula milk for meeting special needs where breastfeeding is not possible. The present chapter aims to give a deep insight into the various antimicrobial peptides and the newly reported endogenous peptides in human breast milk with emphasis on their levels and activity in preterm milk as data related to this is lacking and preterm newborns are highly vulnerable to acquire infections. Further, the chapter focuses on highlighting the antibacterial mechanisms adopted by the bioactive peptides for protection against the neonatal bacterial pathogens with special emphasis on the infections caused by resistant bacterial strains in hospital settings (neonatal wards) and their future implications.

Factors Influencing Maternal Decision-Making on Infant Feeding Practices

The decision to formula feed or breastfeed a child typically begins with an established prenatal intention. This chapter will examine the multiple dimensions influencing maternal decision-making in regards to the feeding practices of infants including 1) individual maternal characteristics, 2) organizational factors, 3) hospital/provider recommendations, and 4) systematic/policy factors. The chapter will also examine the impact of infant feeding practices on early infant and childhood health outcomes. Research has demonstrated the benefits of breastfeeding on infants and early childhood which includes but is not limited to protection against common illnesses and infections, improved IQ , and even increased school attendance. Moreover, the World Health Assembly global nutrition objectives focus on encouraging breastfeeding support across all sectors in addition to implementing tailored community-based approaches, limiting the excessive marketing of infant formula, and enforcing supportive breastfeeding legislation. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the dynamic interplay between individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors, such as policies that impact breastfeeding rates and more specifically the health of infants.

Caseins as Regulators of Hematopoiesis

The main physiological role of casein, the main protein component in the milk, is to be a source of amino acids that are required for the growth of the neonate; therefore, casein is considered a highly nutritious protein. Over time, it has been revealed that casein is a protein whose physiological importance reaches levels far superior to the food field, having a wide array of biological activities including antimicrobial activities, facilitating absorption of nutrients, as well as acting as a growth factor and an immune stimulant. Here we analyze how caseins can exert numerous hematopoietic and immunomodulatory actions, their role in granulopoiesis, monocytopoiesis, and lymphopoiesis from the early stages of postnatal development seemingly throughout life, and we wonder if casein could be useful to fight pathogens resistant to antibiotics, inducing a strong immune response in immunosuppressed patients, or even be a prophylactic strategy to prevent infections.

The Evaluation of Childhood Foods and Infant Formula Exposure to Furan, Chloropropanols and Acrylamide Contamination by Food Processing

This review attempted to evaluate the exposure of thermal processing contaminants such as furan, chloropropanols and acrylamide from infant formulas. Furan, chloropropanols and acrylamide exist at varying levels in several types of foods that are consumed in daily diet including infant formulas. The consumption of these foods leads to the exposure to the thermal processing contaminants. In this sense, it is apparent that humans face hidden danger through dietary exposure throughout their lives. Infants are considered as the age group that expose to the highest levels of these substances as a result of the fact that they have low body weight and consume infant formulas in their diets as alternative nutrition. The review emphasizes that the infant formulas are not innocent, on the contrary, they can be considered as safety critical for infants considering that infant formulas include furan, chloropropanols and acrylamide. Therefore, this review suggests that in this sense all shareholders’ (university, non-governmental organizations, public and private sector) acting in concert with each other is crucially important for the health of individuals and overall society.